The 'Fernando Simón' of the volcano that always gets it right: "This eruption will last a long time"

• Scientists frustrate hopes that the volcano will be extinguished.

  "The indicators have skyrocketed"

• The nightmare of paying the mortgage on a house eaten by the volcano.

  "The banks take advantage of our misfortune"

It is an almost perfect cross between Fernando Simón and Robe Iniesta, the former singer of Extremoduro. Tour the island taking selfies with waiters, grocery storers and volcano enthusiasts. In a matter of a month and a half, he has become one of the most famous characters on La Palma. And all thanks to one of the

most sought-after

in these moments of eruption: his ability to

.

It is about

, a veteran scientist of the CSIC who fulfills a triple mission in the volcanic emergency. In the mornings, he participates in the meetings of the Pevolca crisis committee, where he contributes his scientific knowledge to the managers who handle the emergency. In the afternoons, he enters the

to conduct his own research on how to predict the behavior of lava in future eruptions. And, at night, he records some small videos that accumulate tens of thousands of visits on social networks, as well as memes due to the almost exact resemblance of his voice to that of Fernando Simón.

How do you handle this sudden fame? It is not whoever wants to offend, but who can. And I am aware that the work of a spokesperson in an emergency like the coronavirus is very complicated. Why do you record those videos? I cannot stand scientists who launch alarmist messages to attract media attention. My obsession is to demonstrate the importance of the work of scientists in an accessible way and without falling into sensationalisms, such as those who say that the island is going to split in two.

Soler lives these days with the ambivalence of

caused by the lava flows that devastate thousands of houses.

He says that, before sleeping, he is "mesmerized" by the wild beauty of the volcano: the incandescent lava, the insatiable roar, the unheard of smells, the ash that covers everything ...

But, at the same time, he is aware that the object of his scientific curiosity damages the lives of thousands of people: "When you see that lava is going to destroy a neighborhood, your soul breaks.

.

The volcanologist says that he has only been truly scared at one point.

"It was September 27," he recalls.

"There was a

in the volcanic activity, but I was convinced that the eruption was not over yet. So I was afraid that a crater would open in another area of ​​the island and take other towns ahead."

That risk, he assures, seems already resolved.

But he does not share the optimism of some colleagues who consider the worst phase of the crisis over.

"

," he says.

"The indicators of danger will make saw teeth and we must not rush. Until we see a downward trend that is sustained over time, we will not be able to claim victory. And I am afraid that there is still left for that"

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Know more

• La Palma volcano

• The Palm

• science

• Canary Islands

• HBPR

• Fernando Simon

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